Blueline build up

With the present already pretty bright, the Blackhawks took a step toward ensuring the future is as well.

The Hawks selected defenseman Dylan Olsen of Camrose of the Alberta Junior Hockey League with the 28th overall selection of the 2009 NHL entry draft Friday night in Montreal.

"It's unbelievable," Olsen, 18, told NHL Radio. "Chicago has a great team. It always has been my dream to play for an Original Six team. This is only one step along the way.

"You see they have a young team and good team chemistry. I'm just so excited right now."

Olsen had 10 goals, 19 assists and 123 penalty minutes in 53 games with Camrose last season.

"We have so many good defensemen on the big club we had to replenish the coffers a little bit," Hawks general manager Dale Tallon told NHL Radio. "We're trying to rebuild the back end and you have to do it through the draft to be successful. We like his size and mobility."

The 28th pick was the Hawks' latest first-round selection in the 46-year history of the draft. Last year they took winger Kyle Beach at No. 11.

Only the first round was selected Friday and the draft will continue Saturday with the Hawks having picks 59, 89, 119, 149, 195 and 209.

Meanwhile, Columbus selected Winnetka native John Moore with the 21st pick of the draft. The Blue Jackets traded up to get Moore, who had 14 goals and 25 assists in 57 games while serving as captain for the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League and was named the league's defenseman of the year.

Moore, 18, attended New Trier and played junior hockey in Illinois for the Chicago Young Americans and Chicago Mission before playing for the Steel the last two seasons. The 6-foot-2-inch, 189-pound Moore also won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2008 World Junior 'A' Challenge where he had two assists in five games playing in his first international competition. He is scheduled to attend Colorado College in the fall but said he will weigh his options.

"I'll sit down and see what's best for me and my career in the long run," Moore said.

One-timers: The New York Islanders selected London Knights center John Tavares with the No. 1 pick. They chose the high-scoring junior star over 6-foot-6-inch, 220-pound Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman, the top-ranked European prospect, who went No. 2 to the Lightning. Tavares led the Ontario Hockey League with 58 goals this season. ... The Flyers acquired defenseman Chris Pronger from the Ducks for right wing Joffrey Lupul and defenseman Luca Sbisa, their first-round draft pick in Friday's draft (21st overall) and their first-round pick in 2010.